DID YOU READ

“The Other Guys,” Reviewed

“The Other Guys,” the latest collaboration between director Adam McKay and star Will Ferrell, is a film about excess. It juxtaposes the excesses of our unregulated financial sector with the excesses of the buddy cop movie, two uniquely American pursuits that collide in one surprisingly clever story by screenwriters McKay and Chris Henchy. There’s a third kind of excess at play as well, and that’s in McKay, Henchy, and Ferrell’s comedy, which is at its best at the absurd extremes of human behavior and emotion.

Ferrell’s always good, but he’s at his best with McKay, with whom he created Ron Burgundy in “Anchorman” and Brennan Huff in “Step Brothers.” To that growing stable of memorably eccentric characters we now add Allen Gamble, a pencil-pushing forensic scientist with the NYPD. He and his partner, disgraced detective Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg), are “the other guys” on the force, desk jockeys who do the paperwork for hot shot supercops Danson (Dwayne Johnson) and Highsmith (Samuel L. Jackson). But when the straight-laced Gamble follows the paper trail from a minor scaffolding permit violation into a major case involving a Bernie Madoff-esque Ponzi schemer (Steve Coogan), the other guys get their chance to be superstars.

It’s a classic buddy cop setup, but McKay and Ferrell don’t simply make fun of the conventions of a tired genre, though there’s certainly room for that as well (Gamble and Hoitz’s disastrous stab at good cop-bad cop ranks as a particularly funny example). As we’ve come to expect from McKay, there are diversions into deliciously weird territory, including spontaneous musical numbers, Bed, Bath & Beyond staff meetings, and hobo orgies. Comedy is subjective, of course, but in my opinion the gags that McKay and Ferrell spin out of this material rank amongst the finest of their career. The one involving Danson and Highsmith “aiming for the bushes” had me in tears.

Amongst modern directors, McKay is second only to Quentin Tarantino in recognizing and then utilizing undiscovered or forgotten acting talents. Paul Rudd, John C. Reilly, Michael Clarke Duncan, Richard Jenkins, Adam Scott, and Kathryn Hahn are just a few of the actors who he’s given career-defining or redefining roles to. He obviously saw the potential for chemistry between Ferrell and Wahlberg, an actor known more for drama and action films (who, truth be told, was funnier in David O. Russell’s “I Heart Huckabee’s” than he is here). But he also showcases Michael Keaton in his best part in years as the other guys’ Captain, who has a habit of quoting TLC song lyrics without realizing it, and hits a home run with Eva Mendes as Gamble’s long-suffering wife, whose striking beauty is lost on her husband but not on his partner.

The film’s hamstrung slightly by its PG-13 rating — that scene with Ferrell, Mendes, and her mother is going to be a lot funnier on the inevitable unrated Blu-ray — and there’s no denying McKay is a much better director of comedy than of action. Still, McKay’s stylistic deficiencies inform the “The Other Guys”‘ comedic point-of-view. This movie is a critique of excess; if Danson and Highsmith’s exploits look a little shoddy, that’s sort of the point.

Their destructive behavior in the name of law enforcement is meant to look shallow and empty and it places them squarely in the tradition of McKay and Ferrell egomaniacal blowhards like Ron Burgundy. Typically, the McKay/Ferrell hero’s misplaced self-confidence leads to a fall that can only be redeemed through an attitude readjustment away from obnoxious behavior. Here, McKay shifts from the guys to the other guys, though Gamble’s restrained demeanor is ultimately revealed to have its own ties to excessive machismo, those of his shady past working as — well, it’s best not to spoil it.

To solve the case Gamble has to learn to harness his own inner Danson and Highsmith without letting it run wild. Thankfully, McKay exercises no such sense of restraint with his comedy. Even if “The Other Guys” doesn’t wind up alongside “Anchorman” in the funny movie hall-of-fame — and after just one viewing, it’s too early to tell — it’s still the funniest movie of the summer by a mile. Right now, there are no other guys in movie comedy. McKay and Ferrell aim for the bushes and hit their target.

The Best Of The Last

The end is near. In mere days Portlandia wraps up its final season, and oh what a season it’s been. Lucky for you, you can watch the entire season right now right here and on the IFC app, including this free episode courtesy of Subaru.

But now, let’s take a moment to look back at some of the new classics Fred and Carrie have so thoughtfully bestowed upon us. (We’ll be looking back through tear-blurred eyes, but you do you.)

Couples Dinner

It’s not that being single sucks, it’s that you suck if you’re single.

Cancel it!

A sketch for anyone who has cancelled more appointments than they’ve kept. Which is everyone.

Forgotten America

This one’s a “Serial” killer…everything both right and wrong about true crime podcasts.

Wedding Planners

The only bad wedding is a boring wedding.

Disaster Hut

It’s only the end of the world if your doomsday kit doesn’t include rosé.

Your Portlandia Personality Test

Carrie and Fred understand that although we have so much in common, we’re each so beautifully unique and different. To help us navigate those differences, Portlandia has found an easy and honest way to embrace our special selves in the form of a progressive new traffic system: a specific lane for every kind of driver. It’s all in honor of the show’s 8th and final season, and it’s all presented by Subaru.

Ready to find out who you really are? Match your personality to a lane and hop on the expressway to self-understanding.

Lane 10: Trucks Piled With Junk

Your junk is falling out of your trunk. Shake a tail light, people — this lane is for you.

Lane 33: Twins

You’re like a Gemini, but waaaay more pedestrian. Maybe you and a friend just wear the same outfits a lot. Who cares, it’s just twinning enough to make you feel special.

Lane 27: Broken Windows

Bad luck follows you around and everyone knows it. Your proverbial seat is always damp from proverbial rain. Is this the universe telling you to swallow your pride? Yes.

Lane 69: Filthy Cars

You’re all about convenience. Getting your car washed while you drive is a no-brainer.

Lane 43: Newly Divorced Singles

It’s been a while since you’ve driven alone, and you don’t know the rules of the road anymore. What’s too fast? What’s too slow? Are you sending the right signals? Don’t worry, the breakdown lane is nearby if you need it.

Still can’t find a lane to match your personality? Check out all the videos here. And see the final season of Portlandia this spring on IFC.

Last-Minute Holiday Gift Guide

It’s the final countdown to Christmas and thanks to IFC’s movie marathon all Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, you can revel in classic ’80s films AND find inspiration for your last-minute gifts. Here are our recommendations, if you need a head start:

Musical Instrument

Great analog entertainment substitute when you refuse to give your kid the Nintendo Switch they’ve been drooling over.

Breakfast In Bed

Any significant other or child would appreciate these Uncle Buck-approved flapjacks. Just make sure you’re not stuck on clean up duty.

Cocktail Supplies

You’ll need them to get through the holidays.

Dance Lessons

So you can learn to shake-shake-shake (unless you know ghosts willing to lend a hand).

Comfy Clothes

With all the holiday meals, there may be some…embigenning.

Get even more great inspiration all Christmas Eve and Day on IFC, and remember…